1. Field
The invention relates generally to an apparatus for holding a decorative cover, a kit and a system including the same, a headboard apparatus comprising a substantially thermoplastic body, a furniture apparatus comprising diatomaceous earth, legume extracts, or both, and use of one of the apparatuses, kits, or systems to control a population of animals.
2. Related Art
Many bedrooms in homes and hotels, for example, include headboards, which may be attached to a head of a bed, or which may be attached to a wall proximate the head of the bed. Many conventional headboards include a decorative cover upholstered to a wooden frame. However, wood is disadvantageously difficult to clean, and upholstered decorative covers may be difficult or impossible to replace. Generally, once an upholstered cover is removed from a frame, the cover will be significantly damaged where it was attached, and either not reusable or reusable only on a smaller frame. Therefore, if such a headboard becomes infested with Cimex lectularius (also known as “bedbugs”) or if there is a desire to change the decorative cover for a new colour scheme, for example, then generally such conventional headboards must be discarded and replaced. Discarding and replacing headboards is wasteful and environmentally damaging, and may be very expensive or cost-prohibitive for large institutions such as hotels, for example. Further, in some institutions such as hotels for example, closing large parts or all of the hotel for bedbug or other pest removal can result in significant loss of revenue.
There have been attempts to attach decorative covers by techniques other than conventional upholstery. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,506 to Fridolph (“Fridolph”) discloses receiving fastener heads, which are around a perimeter of a decorative panel, in respective recesses on a frame, and then in respective slots adjacent the recesses. The slots hold the fastener heads, and thus the decorative panel, to the frame. However, such a technique attaches the decorative panel only at discrete locations of the fastener heads, thereby leaving unsightly gaps along the perimeter of the decorative panel between the discrete locations where the decorative panel is attached. Further, to position the fastener heads in the slots, the fastener heads must be received in the respective recesses and then slid from the respective recesses into the adjacent slots. Disadvantageously, sliding the fastener heads from respective recesses into respective slots may require stretching or deforming the decorative panel. Further, the fastener heads may have to be spaced a minimum distance from the decorative panel to permit such sliding, and because of such spacing the fastener heads may not hold the decorative panel close to the frame. The decorative panel may therefore not be tightly held against the frame, disadvantageously giving the decorative panel a loose or saggy appearance. It is believed that at least because of such disadvantages, a headboard as disclosed by Fridolph would not be commercially viable and is unlikely to have been produced commercially.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,195 to Murray (“Murray”) discloses covering a front side of a headboard with fabric, and positioning tubing in a groove in a back side of the headboard to hold the fabric in the groove under the tubing. However, such a technique requires carefully positioning the fabric on the headboard, and maintaining the fabric in position while the tubing is positioned in the groove. Simultaneously holding the fabric and positioning the tubing is disadvantageously cumbersome and time-consuming. Again, it is believed that at least because of such disadvantages, a headboard as disclosed by Murray would not be commercially viable and is unlikely to have been produced commercially.
Some known methods of controlling bedbug and other pest populations involve using certain pesticides, but some pesticides may be harmful to humans and to other life. Other known methods of controlling bedbug populations include applying diatomaceous earth, but known methods of applying diatomaceous earth can be cumbersome. For example, known methods of applying diatomaceous earth may undesirably require handling the diatomaceous earth. Further, known methods may be sufficiently complex so as to require professional involvement, which may undesirably add to cost and delay of bedbug treatment.